Background

The National Military Fish and Wildlife Association (NMFWA) is dedicated to providing for natural resource management on Department of Defense lands and waters in support of the military mission of the Armed Services. NMFWA supports the military mission through ensuring it complies with federal regulations protecting natural resources in a manner consistent with no net loss to the military mission, encouraging problem-solving strategies, science, management, projects and partnerships which support this goal. NMFWA awards provide a mechanism to recognize volunteers, colleagues, service organizations and others that have been instrumental in supporting the military mission through natural resources management on DoD lands. NMFWA awards reflect the mission and goals of NMFWA to promote communication and partnership between natural resource professionals; coordination of DoD command levels for resolution of common problems; sound, professional natural resource management; and awareness and promotion of the military’s conservation of natural resources.

 

Time Table and CeremonyTime Table and Ceremony
Nominations close on 15 December, recipients will be notified by 15 February at the latest, and awards are received at the NMFWA Annual Meeting awards ceremony in March. The Chair generally announces the individuals and their achievements, and the President concurrently hands out the awards. Recipients receive official certificates of recognition and plaques honoring their achievement. Recipients are also honored at either an awards luncheon in their honor immediately following the ceremony or honorary attendance at the Annual Meeting banquet where their achievements are recognized.

 

Rules 

• All nominations must be sent to nmfwaawards@gmail.com by 15 December to qualify. An extension to 15 January may be permitted.  However, nominations received after 15 Jan will be considered in the following year’s nomination process should they be resubmitted.

• Anyone can nominate award candidates. No one may nominate themselves or a family member. Awards can be given to individuals or groups. Awards recognize work above and beyond work requirements. 

• In order to qualify, nominations must include fully completed ballots and a narrative of <2000 words covering the following topics: the nominee’s accomplishments, a) why they deserve the award, and b) how their achievements meet the intent of the award and c) how their achievements meet the ranking criteria. 

• Most general award categories are for short-term achievements (< 5 years), while the lifetime achievement and both presidential awards are for long-term contributions. 

• Nominations for most general awards are open to all. Nominees need not be NMFWA members or DoD employees. Nominees for general awards can be volunteers, professional DoD personnel, or non-DoD personnel. Nominees for the lifetime achievement award are limited to NMFWA members only. 

• Nominations for presidential awards are open to specific groups. The Biopolitical Leadership Award is open to all; however, the Laurence Jahn Award is open to non- DoD employees and non-NMFWA members only. 

Ranking Criteria 
Nominees will be ranked in each award category based on the following criteria: • To what extent does the achievement enhance the military mission?

• Is the nomination for work and effort above and beyond normal work duties?
• If the achievement nominated had not taken place, would this have represented a loss to mission
capacity or the natural resource heritage of the country on DoD lands?
• How great of an impact did the achievement have on the DoD military mission and natural
resource heritage, relative to the job scope of the individual or group involved?
• How great of a personal achievement does the nomination represent, given the resources
available to the person / group involved?
• Does the achievement nominated increase efficiency or relations with the public, partners, or
other DoD commands or departments?
• Does the achievement represent an improvement to ethical or scientific standards of conduct
within the DoD community in support of the military mission?

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Award categories

intent and requirements are summarized below. 

 

General Awards 

 

1. Military Natural Resource Conservation Research. 
This award is intended to recognize technicians, scientists, researchers, volunteers, and personnel from non-profit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, contractors, cooperators, and the DoD who have contributed to significant research that has either taken place on a military installation or was funded by DoD funds, in any of the areas of research listed below. The subject research should improve the understanding and management of natural resources on DoD lands in support of the military mission.
a) Fish & wildlife
b) Vegetation
c) Insects
d) Ecosystem / Cross-species interactions
e) Pest management/Invasive species control
f) Pollution prevention & cleanup / clean air & water

 

2. Natural Resource Conservation Management, Model Programs / Projects. 
This award category is intended to recognize resource managers (including but not limited to technicians, program managers, biologists, and project managers), regardless of their source of employment, who further natural resource management on military installations in support of the military mission through developing programs or projects which can serve as models for conservation on military installations.

 

3. Natural Resource Conservation Management, Policy. 
This award category is intended to recognize policy-makers, regardless of their source of employment, who further natural resource management on military installations in support of the military mission through the creation or interpretation of natural resource legislation and policy.

 

4. Natural Resource Conservation Management, Enforcement. 
This award category is intended to recognize game wardens, conservation officers, police officers, range regulation enforcers, wildlife services personnel, lawyers and judges who have contributed to natural resource conservation on military lands in support of the military mission through their enforcement of law, policy, and regulations.

 

5. Natural Resources Conservation Communication, Military Involvement. 
This award category is intended to recognize those who increase military involvement in or understanding of natural resource conservation on military installations. This includes both military personnel who take part in conservation and natural resource personnel who promote and foster military involvement and understanding in support of the military mission. Recipients may include but are not limited to volunteers, educators, negotiators, public affairs personnel, journalists, and military personnel.

 

6. Natural Resources Conservation Communication, Conservation Partnerships. 
This award category is intended to recognize those who develop fruitful partnerships benefiting natural resource conservation on military installations in support of the military mission. This includes both DoD personnel who take part in conservation and external organization representatives who promote and foster partnerships with the DoD. Recipients may include but are not limited to volunteers, educators, negotiators, public affairs personnel, journalists, and DoD natural resource personnel, non-profit staff, and non-DoD government staff.

 

7. Natural Resources Conservation Communication, Promoting Public Awareness. 
This award category is intended to recognize those who promote public awareness of the military role in conserving the nation’s natural resource legacy. This includes both DoD personnel who promote better external understanding of natural resource conservation on DoD lands, and external organization representatives who promote external awareness of these issues. Recipients may include but are not limited to volunteers, educators, negotiators, public affairs personnel, journalists, and DoD natural resource personnel, non-profit staff, and non- DoD government staff.

 

8. NMFWA Lifetime Achievement Award. 
This award category is intended to recognize those who have contributed significantly over the course of their career to NMFWA’s progress as an organization and to conservation on DoD lands in support of the military mission. The current history-in-the-making and progress of NMFWA rests on the shoulders of giants – these are the giants. Nominations for this award are limited to NMFWA members only.
Presidential Awards 

 

9. Award for Bio-Political Leadership. 
The award was established to recognize outstanding bio-political leadership, commitment, and ethics on behalf of or affecting wildlife and natural resources on military lands. In particular, bio-political actions, where personal risk is involved and progress towards ultimate success is achieved, are the focus of this award. For the purposes of this award, bio-politics is defined as that arena where biological decisions may be influenced as much, or more, by political factors as they are by sound science. The award was formally established at the 1994 annual meeting. Any individual or group who fulfills the purpose of the award (above) is eligible. The award may be presented for either short-term or long-term accomplishments. Nominations should be submitted to the Immediate Past-President, who will coordinate nomination reviews and approval among the Past-Presidents of the Association. Nominations for this award are open to all.

 

10. Laurence R. Jahn Award. 
The Laurence R. Jahn Award was established to recognize a person(s) or organization(s) not directly affiliated with NMFWA that has donated time and energy over the course of their career toward making significant contributions to benefit natural resources policy and programs on DOD lands in support of the military mission. This special award was established in honor of Larry Jahn (deceased), a former President of WMI. Dr. Jahn provided tireless support to help NMFWA grow and become established within the national community of conservation organizations. Selection criteria are as follows:

• Nominee’s actions must have had an impact at the national level.
• Nominee’s efforts must have related to program and/or policy issues.
• Nominee’s efforts must have extended far beyond the scope of normal duties and should involve
considerable personal time and energy.
• Nominee’s actions must have involved collaboration with other agencies and conservation
organizations.

Nominations should be submitted to the Immediate Past-President, who will coordinate nomination reviews and approval among the Past-Presidents of the Association. Nominations for this award are open to non-DoD employees and non-NMFWA members.